Resistance is Futile
by Meggy97
Summary: After the trauma of the attack where his wings are cut off Raffe heads to the aerie on foot, but stumbles into the Resistance Camp where he meets a fiery Daughter of Man who might just change all of his assumptions. Who is this Penryn, and why does her fierce spirit make him soar? Something a bit different for me, still trying to figure out where im going with this
1. Chapter 1

"You obviously have prior military experience." The leader of the monkeys mused, observing Raffe with a calculating look in the dark room. The stench of sweat, fear and his own blood clogged Raffe's sinuses and he rolled his shoulders, taking a deep bored breath as he stared down the soldiers standing guard in the four corners of the dank room. Their guns were locked and loaded, stances tight with adrenalin and anxiety as they stared at what they assumed to be an exceedingly large man. If only they knew, there would be more bullets wasted on Raffe than he assumed they had used in all the time they had been pulling together their little Resistance scheme.

Raffe stared down the leader with a withering glare as he was peppered with questions and big speeches which meant nothing to him. He was already planning his escape, and would be out and back on the road to the aerie before they even noticed he had gone. Finally back to his people after so many millennium away from them. Finally he could return having completed his mission. Kill the Nephilim monsters. Oh he had killed, but he was positive it hadn't been the children of his Watchers. No, the small creatures he had flayed open with his sword had nothing of his brother's blood in them. But monsters they were.

His back burned something fierce and he hoped the black shirt he had ripped from a monkey and the dark sweater he had taken from a broken-up store would keep the leaking blood from showing. If the stains bled through, he would be up shit creek without a paddle. He needed to find a surgeon. Maybe it was too late? Could he still re-attach his wings after so long? And would anybody be willing? After all, it had been so long…

Eventually the leader, Obadiah, gave up is insistent questioning with a weary sigh.

"Perhaps you will be more talkative by morning." He murmured, almost to himself, and ordered his soldiers to tie Raffe to one of the hard beds in the corner. Ropes – he would be through them in seconds. Obi paused in the doorway and there was a terse moment of pregnant silence, before he uttered five words that Raffe had dreaded.

"Use the cuffs as well."

* * *

Human food, Raffe had decided, was disgusting. He had vivid imaged of feeding it to hellions and watching them suffer. But it was calories and he needed to build his energy up if he were to continue the healing of the throbbing wounds where his wing joints were severed.

Humans were also very noisy.

In the cramped cafeteria he felt a pounding in his temples as their shrill voices vibrated through his ear drums. An assortment of Daughters of Men had surrounded him at the table he was seated, and he felt his skin crawl as one laid a hand on his forearm. He shot her a glare and the silky smile she had plastered on her face weakened, fear circling her irises before she backed up cautiously.

How his Watchers had fallen in love with such pitiful, scrawny beings was beyond him. Why sink to such level when there are perfectly... perfect angels available.

A low murmur suddenly spread through the room and the doors burst open dramatically, two identical red-head boys swaggering in with matching mischievous grins stretching their soot-stained faces. They ribbed a Daughter of Man trudging between them and she shot a murderous glare at the one on her right, before pushing ahead and aiming for a table near where Raffe was seated. He watched with quiet disinterest, unable to prevent his brain from marking down her few traits. She walked with an awkward limp to her left leg which he assumed was a fresh injury by the way the skin around her mouth and eyes tensed with each step, as if she wasn't yet accustomed to the shooting pain which was evidently present. Her dark hair was pulled back loosely from a gaunt face, milky-skin smeared with greying soot. And brown eyes that he would have associated with mud if it weren't for the fiery shine burning from them. Her strides were determined, muscles taut, as if ready for a fight at any moment. But the smile that graced her face was so rare it turned Raffe's stomach to a block of sharp ice. He watched as a young girl stretched her arms from a metal wheeled contraption, a similar smile stretching her pixie face. There was still enough innocence in that smile for it to be completely genuine, pride and relief shining in her eyes as her gaze surveyed the older girl.

"Ryn-Ryn," she exclaimed as the older girl took her into a warm hug, resting her cheek against the young girls head.

"Paige," she sighed, relief evident on her face. Relieved for what reason, Raffe pondered silently.

"Did you get them? Did you find mum?" the young girl, Paige, asked curiously as she settled back in the metal frame. The older girl ruffled her hair, perching on the edge of the table and resting a heavy boot on one of the oversized wheels of the other girl's chair.

"We made some damage, but nothing worth bragging about."

"And mummy?"

A tense moment passed, a frown creasing the older girls face, lines etched into her forehead. Finally she shook her head gently, squeezing Paige's shoulder reassuringly. Her knuckles were red raw, scabs refusing to heal as the clotted blood was parted with every move of her hands. Dark hues of blue, green and purple blemished the otherwise unmarred skin.

Obadiah swept into the room next, and Raffe arched a coal dark eyebrow as he watched the man embrace the girl. She stood stiffly, arms out to her sides and a cagey expression on her face, mouth scrunched up distastefully. Obi pulled back and rested his hands on her shoulders, holding her at arm's length and looking her over.

"We have much to speak of Penryn."

Unusual name, Raffe mused as the girl gave a sharp nod before turning on her heel and walking with Obi out of the door, the twin boys flanking them. A strong name.

* * *

"We blew that place apart!"

"Like a volcano!"

"Ka-boom!"

"It was magnificent-"

"A work of art-"

"Fireworks-"

"Bombs-"

Obi glanced at Penryn and she raised her eyebrows at him, as if to ask how she was supposed to keep the Tweedle Twins in line. Of course, they generally followed her orders. An unlikely alliance/friendship had formed and the twins usually listened to Penryn. And they had in fact listened when she said to blow the place to pieces. It was like an atomic bomb had gone off under the building. The soundwave blew her off her feet and she landed awkwardly, scraping the skin from her arm and left leg which had suffered a sharp jolt and was refusing to work properly for her now. A cloud of smoke and flames had engulfed the buildings. Unfortunately, the majority of the flying bastards had escaped. But she knew for certain that a few of them had burnt up in the blaze and were dead. It was a small victory, even if it hadn't been the intended outcome.

DeeDum went into a back-and-forth detailed description of the mission, with Penryn occasionally popping in her own ten cents feeling as though she may as well add something to reassure Obi of her involvement and leadership. She thanked her lucky stars that DeeDum never mentioned their brief detour from the mission. Curiosity had always been a plague through humanity, and the three teens had been twitchy and anxious as they fought to stick to the plan. Eventually it became too much, and they decided to go for a quick peek into the aerie. What they had seen was more than disturbing, and Penryn feared that the images were seared to the insides of her eyeballs. Sleep was going to be cursed tonight.

The debriefing was over quickly, but as she made her way to leave Obi called her back. Tensing she shot the Twins an 'oh shit' glance before closing the door behind them and turning to the leader warily.

"Yes sir?"

"We have a new recruit," Obi eyed her, before settling himself on the edge of a table and resting his palms on his knees.

"That's good …isn't it?" she asked curiously, seeing the weariness waring on Obi's face.

"Perhaps I spoke too quickly… what I mean is that we... detained him after one of the scouting groups found him wandering near the camp. He could be a valuable recruit, but I haven't managed to get through to him. He isn't responding well to me, and I fear-" He cut himself off suddenly, his gaze holding Penryn's and for once she noticed just how fatigued the older man was. It wasn't too surprising, what with the weight of humanity sitting on his shoulders, but he always carried himself with such confidence it was hard to imagine him being beat down and dog-tired. But by-god did he look exhausted in that moment.

"Sir?"

"You've always been better with the warriors Penryn. You know how their minds work, and believe it or not a lot of the men round here have a grudging respect for your skills. You have ability and promise beyond your years, and you intimidate men over twice your age. Yes, I'm sure they'd like to see you removed, to feel more like a man again. But they care too much for their own safety to threaten yours."

"Skip the flattery Obi, what are you trying to say? That you want me to recruit this guy for you? As if I'm not doing enough of your dirty work." She replied sarcastically with a roll of her eyes, and Obi felt a jolt as he was reminded once again of just how young this girl really was. Just a teenager and he trusted and respected her more than, well, any of the other men and woman his age.

"I want you to convince him to join the Resistance. It could make a big difference to our chances."

"Chances of what? Defeating the angels? All because we've got one more guy willing to fight for us?"

"If he turns out to be anything like you, I'd be inclined to say yes."

* * *

Wrinkling my nose, I kicked my boots through the pine needles scattering the grounds of the camp as I headed towards the lavatories. The smell was already bad from here. Thank fuck I had been promoted into the firing ranges where I taught our soldiers (anybody willing to hold a gun and shoot it) how to use the different weapons we had at our disposal. If anybody dared challenge me, I also got to through a few punches to put them back into their place. I was never a violent girl, surprising when I look back on my home life, but since the angels had invaded a deep fury was bubbling just under the surface of my skin and screaming to be let loose. If the chance ever came about of getting a hold of an angel, I don't think I would ever be able to look at myself again. Dreams of ripping them apart, plucking each feather and sawing through joints had woken me in a sweat many a night.

And then there was Paige. I would do anything to keep her safe. She was the reason we had joined the Resistance. As much as I hated to admit it, they were our best chance at survival. They had food, shelter, water and a sense of purpose. She was safer here than if we were to continue running through the streets like rats or struggling through the forest with her wheelchair.

DeeDum appeared at my side out of thin air and I rolled my eyes as Dee swung an obviously pick-pocketed knife in my view.

"Spymasters, I have a much more fulfilling mission in store for you." I goaded and could practically see their ears perk up in interest. "We have a new member to the camp. Your mission is to help me find him, and then I have to recruit him." I grumbled the last part bad-naturedly and they let loose a matching chuckle.

"Aww poor Ryn-Ryn,"

"Having to make nice,"

"I pity the poor bugger,"

"He has no idea what he's in for,"

"Is Obi out of his mind?"

"Sending you instead of the charming twins?"

"It's like picking a grizzly bear over a kitten."

They let loose a hoot of laughter and I stopped in my tracks, fisting my hands and resting them on my hips as I waited for them to stop laughing. These boys would be the death of me, forget about angels. Grins stretched their faces and then they relented and pointed towards a dark-clothed figure helping to dig a ditch.

"That would be your man. Good luck," they grinned, before turning and sauntering off.

Heading towards the man, I felt uneasiness shifting restlessly under my skin. He was huge, bigger than any man I had met. Muscles bulged under his dark shirt, and I noted that there seemed to be extra padding around his chest and back. Bandages maybe? From what…

Striding up, I fought the urge to cross my arms – a classic defensive move, showing discomfort and fear. There was a soft murmur from the other men, and I felt the eyes of the woman piercing my back as they scrubbed at the giant loads of washing. I had spent a few weeks with them, but after a few fights had been drafted into the Resistance Army where I got to put the burning rage to good use.

The man stiffened, as if sensing me, and turned to look at me over his shoulder. Something flashed across his face, an emotion I couldn't read, before he turned and leant on the spade, eyeing me cautiously.

"Follow me," I commanded, spinning on my heel and heading towards one of the storage buildings. There was a pause and I glanced over my shoulder, grinding my jaw at the stubborn set to his face. "You can either come now, or after you've spent another five hours digging trenches and dealing with faeces. Makes no difference to me." I shrugged, hooking my fingers into my belt loops and reassuring myself that the heavy weight of my knife was settled in one of my pockets. For a moment, I think he may just choose the latter option, if only to be frustrating, but he sets his spade down and follows me into the building.

Opening a door to one of the rooms, I eye the table and two chairs and stiffen, feeling like this was going to turn into an interrogation. For lack of a better option, I lead him into the room and lean against the table.

"Take a seat,"

"I'd rather stand." He replied sarcastically, his deep voice rumbling in his chest, close to a growl.

"Suit yourself," I shrug, shuffling onto the desk and resting my boots on the seat of one of the chairs. "So where are you from?" I ask, hoping to ease up the tension in the room. He raise an eyebrow, as if to say 'seriously?' and I pull the knife from my pocket, flipping it open and shut, needing something to do with my hands as restlessness itched its way through my body.

"Okay how about a name? If not your real one, then pick something I can call you." I suggest, looking up as he leans back on the door. Suddenly I become aware that he is a very large man and I am a very small girl. It's always been an issue, but since coming to the camp it hasn't been such a dangerous matter. There is always somebody to watch your back, if not always for the right reasons. But the chances of being assaulted or raped are considerably reduced, next to non-existent. If not for the weekly fights for people to bet on and let off some steam.

And here is a complete stranger who nobody has any information on, leaning against my only escape route.

"My friends call me Wrath of God, my enemies call me Please Have Mercy." He replies with a snarl in his voice and I grind my teeth.

"Okay then, I'll call you Mercy." I reply, feeling the snarl work its way up my throat and tempt my lip into curling. I had no time for jackasses. "So Mercy, I'm Penryn and I've been roped into trying to convince you to join this fine establishment. Two questionable meals a day, roof over your head, clean clothes, and safety, what more could you ask for?" I say, spreading my hands, knife lying flat against my palm.

"Your safety is just an illusion," he replies, crossing his arms over his chest, biceps straining against the sleeves of the shirt.

"Probably, but it's better than being on your own out in the woods, or being caught by a gang in the city." I point out, though he looks like somebody who would put Bear Grylls to shame and intimidate any gang member into wailing for his mummy. He raises a coal black eyebrow and I sigh.

"Look, the more of us that band together the greater the chances of survival. I'm not saying we'll ever be able to remove the angels, but believe me I'll fight until my last breath to rid our world of them. And I know that seems impossible, in fact it most certainly is, but we have to at least try. We can't let them have our world, they don't deserve it. All they have brought is death and destruction. Our people are scattered, but if we can get enough to join together we might be able to make a difference. Surely you want to show the bastards what you're made of? Better to go out with a bang, than cowering in a corner waiting for death." My voice grows stronger with each passing word, but the bored expression stays firmly rooted to his stubborn face. A sharp pain engulfs my hand, and I glance down, sucking in a breath as I realise that I have curled my palm around the knife, slitting the skin tenderly. Blood flows freely down the heart lines, deep crimson against soot-stained ivory. Blue and purple veins criss-cross like rivers under the skin, merging together on the underside of my wrist where the skin is thin and stretched tight, before branching off to different directions of my body.

"You won't be forced to stay. We can't risk having any disloyalty here. But if you choose to leave, be aware that it will always be viewed as nothing but cowardice to reject your duties to protect the only home we have. And when the End of Days comes, you'll feel nothing but bitterness and remorse and fear for not spending the end of your life surrounded by people who tried their hardest to defend and conserve our world."


	2. Chapter 2

Raffe cast a glance to his left, carefully schooling his expression blank as he watched the young girl rolling her wheelchair to his table, a bowl of liquid balanced precariously in her lap. She shot him a warm smile as she settled herself under the edge of the table and pulled a spoon from a strap of Velcro around her calf.

"Hiya I'm Paige," she exclaimed, baring a line of uneven teeth in a pleasant grin. "You're new, I think my sister spoke with you this morning. I just wanted to say sorry if she was a bit mean, she's really stressed and tired. I don't think she really likes people either- besides DeeDum, but even they seem to annoy her sometimes." She expressed honestly, shoving a spoonful of liquid messily into her mouth as she chattered. "I promise she's really nice once she gets to know you. Are you going to stay here?" she asked curiously, gazing up at him with wide eyes that shared a startling resemblance to that of a doe. Raffe frowned suspiciously at the young girl's sweet-nature, wondering if this was a set up by that Penryn. But judging by the open expression on the young girls face, she was genuine.

"No I won't be staying, I have something to attend to." He explained gruffly, casting a calculating glance around the room. None of the other monkeys seemed to be paying attention, which he thought odd considering the size difference and the fact that the girl was disabled. He could kill her in a nanosecond if the notion were to take his fancy.

"That's a shame, Penryn said Obi said we could really use your help." She sighed softly. Suddenly she tipped the contents of her bowl into his own and shot him a bright smile. "If you're leaving you'll need to have as much food as possible. It's really hard to find now." Raffe stiffened, unsure as to how to react.

Thankfully he was distracted as another figure approached. He glanced up and his gaze crashed with a scowling glare. Penryn paused by her sister, taking in the scene, before slipping onto the bench opposite Raffe and pushing a bowl of liquid in front of her sister. Paige shot her an abashed smile, looking as though she had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. She began to decline the offer of her sister's food, but her protests died at the glower on Penryn's face. There was a tense moment of silence as Raffe and Penryn examined each other over the space of the grey table, before Penryn plucked an apple from his tray. Her hand was bandaged poorly, as if forced on in a rush.

"I have different opinions than my sister. If you're leaving, we shouldn't waste food on you." She snapped, before relenting with a sigh as Paige stared at her with watery eyes. "But we can't very well allow you to die." She muttered grudgingly, ignoring the grateful glance she was cast. They stayed in companionable silence as Paige babbled away nonsensically, Penryn's jaw working mechanically as she gnawed half-heartedly on the red apple. Raffe tuned Paige out, instead choosing to scout out the other conversations in the room for anything that may be of interest to him. He was just passing over a conversation, when he recognised a name spoken. Pausing a second, he tuned in, round about the same time the voices grew louder and he caught Penryn's spine stiffening and her shoulders bunching together.

"She's so feisty, I'd love to see what she'd do if we managed to get her."

"Oh yeah man, but could you imagine? Obadiah would have us hung… and I've seen a lot of the lads coming out of training pretty messed up."

"It would be so worth it though. I'm sure she would be sooo dirty. She'd probably fucking enjoy it."

"You have no idea what I would do to have her my way, rough and hard and…"

Raffe cast a glance to Penryn and saw the hard set to her jaw, cheeks flushed in mortification and anger. She stared down at the table for a long hard moment, muscles in her forearms flexing and teeth grinding together. Several more repulsive remarks floated around the room, loud enough for the majority of people in the immediate area to hear loud and clear. A concerned dimple appeared between Paige's eyebrows as she gazed at her sister. Sighing wearily, Penryn rolled the half-eaten apple around in her palm for a moment, before swinging her legs over the bench and facing the repugnant men gathered around a table, their vile comments growing in vigour.

"Hey," she snapped, and the room feel silent. All eyes flew to her, and several men looked away ashamed. But one didn't. He stared down Penryn with a sneer.

"What bitch? Like what you're hearing?" he goaded, making an obscene gesture with his mouth and hips. Raffe fought the urge to fly across the room and rip the man's jugular out. It was nothing to do with the fact that it was aimed at this Daughter of Man, he assured himself, it was plainly a matter of moral and disrespect would not be tolerated. Even if it was from, and aimed at, a monkey.

But then a surprising thing happened. A smile stretched across Penryn's face, and the entire room held their breath. Then in a split second, she had pulled back her arm and launched the apple in her palm at the man's face. It collided at full force with his nose, smashing it and slamming him to the cold hard floor. Second's letter, Penryn was on him, cracking his skull against the concrete, a deep boiling rage sweeping through her body. Shouts followed as people raced to circle the attack. But they weren't trying to stop what was happening.

Raffe shook his head as he heard bets being thrown about, and the man on the floor yelling, trying to get a shot in at the teenage girl going hell-for-leather and battering him to an inch of his life. Eventually she was pulled away, blood splattered over her exposed skin. None of her own, though a harsh bruise was blooming below her eye. She shook with fury and adrenalin as she was escorted from the room, a strong hand pushing between her shoulder blades as the man was hefted from the floor and carried in the opposite direction.

Raffe glanced at Paige and she offered him a sad smile.

"My sister doesn't like hurting people. But Mr Boden is very nasty and he has hurt a lot of people." She paused, turning to lay eyes on her sisters retreating form. "And she's tired of being scared."

* * *

Echo cast a furtive glance back at Penryn and she shook her hand in a shooing motion, before he bounded away deeper into the forest of Giant Redwoods and pines. The black husky missed no chance to pee against every tree and sniff almost every blade of grass sticking up between the leaves and needles.

It was always a relief to be given permission to leave the grounds of the camp, and Obadiah had in fact insisted that she needed time to cool down so ordered her to take a dog and go for a stroll. So long as she was gone no longer than an hour. As much as she appreciated the Resistance, she cursed its rules and longed for freedom. But she knew it came with a price. An angel could be cruising overhead and spot her, swoop down and kill her before she even had time to scream. And freedom wasn't worth death… at least not yet. Not while she had Paige waiting for her, and depending on her to find their mother (which wouldn't happen until she decided she wanted to be found.)

Goosebumps sent the hairs on her body into a Mexican Wave as Echo paused, hackles raising along his spine as his nose lifted to the air, scenting the soft breeze which blew gently. His lip curled, baring white canines as he cautiously padded towards a secluded tree, a dark bush suddenly holding ominous shadows and figures as her mind danced with possibilities.

She whistled softly to the dog, backing up a quiet step and straining to hear anything, a breath on the breeze or soft crunch underfoot which would alert her to any unwanted company. Echo circled the bush slowly, before wriggling beneath it and disappearing. She braced for an inevitable bark or yelp, but instead only heard rustling as the dog manoeuvred in the dense leaves. Approaching tentatively, she fought to breathe around the lump of fear in her throat.

Echo sniffed around the tree gingerly and she looked around warily as she sidled up to him. Standing on his back legs, he stretched his lithe body up the tree, paws pressing against bark and tilting his head back as he caught the scent of something. Penryn winced as she looked up, expecting to see the evil face of a murderous angel staring down at her. But there was nothing. Maybe the dog had picked up the scent of a squirrel or some other rodent?

Just as she was about to conclude that the dogs behaviour was down to its hunting nature, something glinted in the corner of her eye. She craned her neck back to stare higher into the tree. There, a slight ray of sunshine that filtered through the heavy cover of the trees sparked off something. Stepping back and straining on the tips of her toes, she finally noticed a small hollow in the tree. Looking around for some way of climbing the tree, her eyes landed on the bush that sprawled around the trunk. She tested the strength of the branches, and cautiously climbed on. They swayed and bent, but held her weight with small complaint. Stretching a hand up, she prayed to whatever god would listen that there wouldn't be a dead animal, or even worse a live one, spring out and bite her or run down her arm as she reached into the hollow.

Her fingers registered a sudden pain and she pulled back, dots of blood popping up along a soft line of a slice in her thumb and index finger. Grunting, she bounced herself higher on the branches of the bush, grabbing a hold of the edge of the hollow and hoisting herself up with all the strength she could muster in her arms.

Her nose skimmed the bark and finally she was able to peer into the hollow.

What she saw at first didn't register in her head.

And then it did.

And with it a cold shot of ice coursed through her veins.

A shiny sword, hilt engraved with pictures and languages she couldn't even begin to comprehend.

And two snowy wings bundled together like swans, feathers ruffling in the breeze.


	3. Chapter 3

Raffe stiffened, holding back a gasp of pain, as one of the men slapped his back in gratitude as they finally finished fitting the lavatories. The blood had slowed to a trickle by now, the raw scars like fresh mincemeat, aching with every movement he made. He only hoped the bandages would hold for another few hours until he could slip away from the camp.

A wail split the lull of the camp like a knife through water. Tense silence spread through the air, as the siren grew in urgency. There was a moment when nobody moved, standing stock-still, frozen in fear. And then everything was dropped to the ground and chaos erupted. Shoving and yelling, screaming in unbridled panic. Those who tripped or were thrown to the ground stayed there, unable to move as a stampede of people trampled them into the dirt. Raffe glanced around, watching as men appeared with rifles and machine guns, setting themselves up in the courtyard or taking positions in the overhangs of the buildings. Some climbed to the roof where heavy duty firearms were positioned, unveiling the weapons with a grand flourish as camouflage nets were pulled aside.

He slipped away whilst everybody's eyes were trained on the sky, scanning them fearfully. He manoeuvred seamlessly over the ground, straining his ears to listen to the almost undecipherable waft of wind against feathers. He had no idea what kind of reception he would get if he was discovered. Wingless. After so many years away from the Angelic Garrison. They would think he had Fallen.

Raffe's shoulders relaxed as he approached the trees he had stowed his snowy wings and faithful sword within. Stretching up, he grabbed his sword, breathing a sigh of relief as he took her in his firm grasp, feeling the waves of reassurance from her. With a twinge of anger at having been left behind. Sliding a hand up to grab his wings, he froze. Standing on his toes, he peered inside the hollow. Where the fuck were they?

Panic seized his heart. Had the angels found them? Had Belial followed and stolen them from under his nose?

"Looking for something?"

* * *

Penryn grasped the knife in her hand firmly as Raffe spun, fury slipping across his face as he locked eyes with her. Her knees shook, arms trembling and her breath shuddered in and out of her chest. Fear seized her by the gut, squeezing her heart painfully as she stared down the angel. Of course he was an angel, she chided herself, how the hell could a human be so big, and strong and… handsome. She cursed herself for even thinking the word towards the enemy. They were painfully beautiful and perfect. But they were also violent and ruthless, she reminded herself, and they were trying to wipe her species clean from the world.

"Where are they?" he growled, muscles bulging along his arms and neck, veins pulsing with fury, looking ready to burst. His dark blue eyes burned with rage, blue flames of violence and bloodlust. He took a threatening step forward and she squared her shoulders. He couldn't kill her, not while she had his wings hidden… right? Her resolve quivered as his hands flexed around the hilt of the shining sword.

A scream ruptured the sudden silence in the woods, and Penryn's heart dropped.

"PENRYN!"

She was running before she had even thought to send the signal to her legs. She sprinted across the uneven ground, pumping her arms and refusing to even consider the burn of her lungs as breath rasped down into them harshly. Bursting back into the camp, she felt bile working up her throat. Paige was cornered by a huge pale-skinned angel, blood-red wings raised high over his head and vicious smile stretching his perfect face.

"What do we have here? A broken monkey?" he grinned, and Penryn lunged across the space. Her knife sunk between the joints of his wings up to the slim hilt, slicing through muscle and barely missing his spine. The angel's wings jerked and he spun, slamming a meaty arm across her chest and catapulting her back a good 15 foot. The wind was knocked straight out of her body and she felt a rib pop horrifically. Gasping desperately for air, she curled into a protective ball, wrapping an arm around her stomach and straining to watch as the angel approached her, vengefulness seared to his face. Blood dripped slowly from her eyelashes like cursed tear drops.

"Little rat," he snarled, hauling her from the ground by the neck of her shirt, leaving her feet to dangle in the air. "How dare you attempt to harm an angel. You are not fit enough to even breathe the same air as my kind. You are worthless vermin." He exploded, eyes steaming with hatred. He grabbed her around the neck with his spare hand and squeezed dangerously. He was going to snap her neck, Penryn's realised vaguely, just like a chicken's.

Paige whimpered somewhere behind him, and a surge of adrenalin shot through Penryn's veins like fire. She couldn't let him kill her, not in front of her sister. Not ever. Wrapping a hand around his wrist she strained to push him away. A smirk flitted across his face, replaced with shock as she aimed a foot between his legs. A grunt escaped and his hold on her loosened. Good to know they still had the same weaknesses as normal men. Wrapping both hands around his arm, she pushed herself higher and slammed a knee between his legs. His grip loosened even more and Penryn shoved away from him, gasping as the pain in her side split her apart. Before she could dwell on the pain, she rolled to her feet and faced him, fists raised.

"Do you honestly believe you can cause me any harm, little Daughter of Man?" he laughed, baring his teeth.

* * *

Raffe sighed wearily as he watched Gadreel. As if this was a fair fight, though he was ruthlessly impressed at the Daughter of Man. He gave her her due. She wasn't going to stand down. She was going to get herself killed, become a martyr to her people. And Gadreel would thrive off her sacrifice. He didn't care what he killed, anything would get that bastard off.

Casting his eyes to the roof of the buildings, he shook his head ruefully as he saw the slumped figures of the men. Dead before they had even managed to pull the trigger on the machine guns.

Penryn sidled along the dirt, her side giving her pain from the way she was hunched. Raffe crossed his arms, leaning against as tree as he watched her. He would step in if Gadreel made a move to actually kill her. He still needed to find where she had put his wings. But if he knew Gadreel at all, the angel would draw this out to beat the girl down to her bare bones until she begged for her life. Then he would kill her.

Gadreel charged and Penryn ducked, falling almost between his legs before bursting up, using the strength of her legs to slam her shoulder into his abdomen. Gadreel crumpled momentarily and she swept a leg across his, but he grabbed her calf before she could sweep him to the ground. Flipping her onto her back, he grinned maliciously. She coughed and spluttered, blood dribbling down her chin. The angel stepped back and motioned for her to get to her feet impatiently. Even scum like Gad wouldn't kill a monkey while it as lying on its back. The moment Penryn clambered to her feet, he round housed her brutally to the ribs. Paige screamed and Penryn was on the ground again, gasping in pain.

Raffe felt a surge of emotion as she pushed herself up to her hands and knees, spitting blood to the dirt. Gad stood above her, gloating. Grabbing the back of her shirt, he hauled her to her feet. And she swung a fist at his face, so fast and vicious he didn't have a moment to pull back. His nose exploded on his face, head jerking back, letting go of the girl.

Raffe uncrossed his arms, standing straighter and watching in shock as she kicked him savagely. Gad bent double, and she grabbed the sword from where it was imbedded between his wing joints. Ripping it from his skin, she raised it above her head, before slicing it down at his neck. The blade cut through his skin, blood spurting. The angel roared in fury and Penryn embedded her knife in the joint of his neck, the hilt standing like a solitary soldier between neck and shoulder.

Gad made a grab for Penryn, and she grasped the knife as he shoved her to the ground, the blade slicing through tendons and muscles down to his chest. The power and force he had put into the push sawed the knife through rib bones and he screamed in agony, wings convulsing on his back like beached fish. He staggered back and Penryn pulled the knife from his skin, crimson blood running like rivers down her arm.

Gadreel glowered at her, grasping at the wound, attempting to hold his chest together. He glanced sky-wards as the patrol of invading angels lifted to the air and headed back towards the aerie.

"Next time Daughter of Man, I will pull your skin from your bones. And then I will break every bone in your body and feed you to hellions." He snarled. And with three beats of his crimson wings, he was airborne. There was a moment of pause, when Penryn slumped as the adrenalin leached from her body and the pain of her injuries overruled all other thought.

And in that moment, Gadreel struck. He swooped and grabbed Paige by the shoulders, hauling her into the air as she screamed in terror. Penryn lifted her head weakly, horror washing across her face. She fumbled on the ground, trying to manoeuvre her broken and battered body. Choosing to scream and shout rather than breathe, she struggled to her hands and knees, begging for her sister and threatening the angel. But by the time she had mustered the strength to look to the sky, he was nothing but a distant red stain on the horizon.

Paige was gone. They had taken my little sister.

And it was all my fault.

* * *

 **Sorry, this was very rushed and i really am not happy with how this chapter played out.**

 **My head is preoccupied with another book series with a sexy half-angel by the name of Raffa - if anybody hasn't already, i would recommend reading the Rephaim series by Paula Weston!**

 **Once again apologies for this one being a bit shite! xxx**


	4. Chapter 4

Penryn clenched her jaw in agony as the Doc swiped antiseptic around her wounds. Though her eyes were wet, no tears fell. Her burning gaze bore a hole through the wall over Doc's shoulder, wave after wave of anger and torment roiling in her dark eyes. A pulsing vein protruded from her forehead and her shoulders shook as she held in a scream of pain as he prodded at her ribs, determining which were broken or fractured, his face pulled into a tight scowl at the bruising rising over her skin.

"You're lucky to be alive," Obadiah fumed as he paced the length of the room, throwing the occasional scowl at DeeDum as they perched on a table sharing a bag of stale Doritos.

"I need to find Paige," she bit back after a moment, breathing deeply through her nose as Doc pushed an ice pack into her hand and ordered her to hold it over her ribs. The shock of the cold against her skin caused her to flinch, a bolt of pain shooting down her side in response to the too sudden movement.

"Not in that state," Obadiah retorted and she glared venomously in response.

"I'm going to get her. I don't need your permission,"

"You can't leave the camp,"

"Our location has been compromised, of course I can fucking leave. Everybody's already packing up and getting ready to move out. I'll be doing the same, but I'm heading towards the angels rather than away."

"Penryn we don't even know if Paige is still alive. What use do they have for a disabled little girl? They only took her to hurt you-"

"There is no room for questions. She is alive, and I am going to get her back."

"I noticed you were self-destructive," Raffe murmured from where he leant against the wall beside the doors, legs crossed at the ankles and arms folded loosely. "I didn't realise you were downright suicidal."

"Shut the fuck up!" Penryn snapped, eyes flaring and fists clenching, a muscle in her neck twitching rapidly as the pain burned through her body with every movement. It took every fibre of her being not to launch herself at him and demand answers and throw punches. He was a fucking angel! She should be handing him over to Obi and Doc to strap him to one of the tables and get their answers. But she needed to know where Paige was first. Then she could chuck him under the bus.

"Have you taken a look at yourself? You look like you've lost a fight with a Grizzly." He deadpanned and she threw the ice pack at his head, immediately regretting the decision as the pain in her sides flared and split her open. Grasping numbly at her ribs, she mustered enough anger to glare at Raffe as he looked from the wet patch on the front of his shirt to the melting ice on the floor.

"Mature," he nodded, meeting her gaze. His dark blue eyes skimmed the red and purple marks which circled her throat like a violent necklace, the dried and flaking blood around her mouth and chin and then settled on the darkening skin of her upper body. Her shirt had been ruined from the fight and was discarded in a bundle at the far side of the room and her dark sports bra hid the blood well. She looked so young and fragile and he had the sudden discomfiting urge to wrap his arms around her and hold her together until her pain faded and she became that raging bull of a girl who had just faced down an angel.

"There is no room for disagreement here Penryn. You have been injured to a severe extent, I can't allow you to leave here on your own. You may have internal bleeding, which will kill you before you get within a hundred miles of Paige. You're staying with us, and once you've healed, we'll talk about finding her." Obadiah stated, brow furrowed and fingers on Penryn's chin, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. Her glare was enough to destroy ten men, but Obi just nudged her chin and smoothed the flyaway hairs at her bloodied temple, before turning and marching out of the room, DeeDum shooting Penryn curious stares before following the leader.

"You'll need to keep icing your side. You have a concussion, so no sleeping for the next 24hours. Any discomfort or swelling come to me immediately." Doc demanded, handing her another bag of ice before nodding shortly to Raffe and leaving the room.

Raffe's gaze stayed on Penryn as she glowered at the men's retreating forms, jaw tight and hands clenched into balls. The silence stretched between them, the air thick with unspoken words and sizzling tension.

"Did you tell them about the camp?" she demanded finally, turning to meet his cool blue gaze. Raffe shook his head once and she narrowed her eyes, gaze flickering across his stoic face, before releasing a heavy sigh and lowering her gaze to her burst knuckles. Her tormented expression pinched at something in his gut. It had been a long time since he had seen such hopeless remorse.

"Where are my wings?" Raffe murmured into the quiet, standing straight and unfolding his arms. He needed to focus on getting his life back on track and looking after what was left of his men. He couldn't afford to be dragged into the pointless lives of these monkeys. They would be gone in a few months, and they meant nothing to him. It was their fault his Watchers had fallen, their fault that the best warriors of the world were rotting in the Pit for eternity.

"I'll give them back to you if you tell me where they've taken my sister." Penryn demanded after a minute's silence, dark eyes shining with determination.

"You'll die,"

"So will she if I don't find her."

"She's just one person. Is she really worth your life?"

"She's my sister. She's worth so much more than all the people in this Godforsaken camp." Penryn admitted, the anger leeching from her body, shoulders slumping in exhaustion, her dark eyes searching his.

* * *

"Stop moping," Raffe snapped as they finally broke through the thick cover of the forest. The scratches and cuts from needles and splinters and spikes had already healed on his tanned forearms, but he couldn't ignore the scabbing and red strips on Penryn's pale skin, no matter how unconcerned the girl seemed. "It's impractical to carry or push a wheelchair all the way to the Aerie. And just plain stupid to take a dog. That's an extra mouth to feed, another body to water and take care of."

"I know! I fucking know!" Penryn snapped back, wincing as she pushed the last branches out of her way and following him down the slope of grass onto the sun baked car-scattered tarmac. Chucking her backpack through the open door of an SUV, she propped herself against the hot metal hood and took a long swallow from her water, relishing the feel of liquid on her dry and fuzzy tongue. Raffe refrained from rolling his eyes at her temper and instead cast his gaze to the sky, scanning the few clouds and searching for any winged figures. His own wings felt impossibly heavy bundled up in his backpack. Penryn had handed them over grudgingly, body tensed and eyes narrowed, awaiting him to take off without her. But as much as he regretted it, he had agreed to take her to the Aerie. Now he had to just get her there without killing her. Daughters of Men, it turned out, were very annoying. Especially snarky teenagers with no regard for their own life. Once again, he couldn't comprehend what was so captivating for his Watchers to Fall for them.

Glancing to Penryn he sighed as he watched her picking at the scabs on her arms, brow furrowed in concentration and teeth worrying at her bottom lip. Clearing his throat, her caught her startled gaze and gestured for them to get going again. Sighing heavily, she plucked her backpack out of the SUV and followed him off the tarmac and into the edge of the forest, keeping the road in sight while staying sheltered by the shadows and overhanging branches.

"So what happened to you?" Penryn quizzed him as they settled in a cottage at the edge of the forest for the night. Half the roof had caved in and one wall had crumbled into rubble. Settling in the only room which was wind and water tight, Raffe had been slowly preparing himself for this bombardment of questions. Glancing up from the pot of – noodles? – he met her curious stare and quirked a dark eyebrow. "Well I'm assuming your wings didn't just fall off. Or do you have some sort of weird angel disease that causes body parts to just-" she gestured vaguely before tipping the contents at the bottom of the container into her mouth.

"They were cut off," he answered warily, setting the food aside and leaning back against the wall to pull his boots off and stretch the tight, sore muscles of his legs out. It had been far too long since he had travelled by foot.

"Who cut them off?" she asked, and rolled her eyes at his glower. "It's a simple question. Did a gang ambush you-?"

"No human will ever be capable of harming an angel. Especially an Archangel," he growled in reply and she stiffened as she set the container aside, her eyes darting to him cautiously. "It was a Demon. And next time I see him he will die." Raffe answered and she gaze a sharp nod of her head, a wince flashing across her features at the sudden movement. Grasping her sides uselessly, she breathed carefully for a moment.

"You'd be better lying down," Raffe advised gruffly.

"Easier for you to stab me?" Penryn queried, but she stretched herself out of the floor, bundling a sweater under her head and placing her hands tenderly on her stomach.

"I have a feeling it wouldn't be so easy to kill you," Raffe admitted, fighting the quirk of a smile at the corner of his mouth. But he didn't miss the quick flash of a satisfied smile on Penryn's face as she stared up at the cracked ceiling. "You put up a hell of a fight against Gadreel," he said, grudging respect in his voice.

"Don't try to hurt my sister," she answered quietly, worry marring her features and creasing her face. "You knew him?"

"Not well, I just know his reputation."

"I would have thought you knew every angel on, like, a personal level."

"How well do you know those at the Resistant Camp?" he countered and she shrugged a shoulder, hissing a breath between her teeth at the burn. "Sleep – you'll heal quicker."

"Don't you dare leave me. We have a deal." She reminded him and this time Raffe did roll his eyes.

"Shut up and go to sleep."

* * *

 **Hey guys, sorry this has taken so long to update, I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with this story anymore. I'll try to progress from here, but I'm not very pleased with how this chapters went.**


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